Has anyone here ever been in the Peace Corps?

My girlfriend and I have talked about joining the Peace Corps a number of time over the past couple of years. I was just wondering if anyone here has ever been involved with the organization.

What's it like? What can you tell us about it?

:)

Sorry, sorry, sorry. Couldn't resist. Well, I could, but didn't.
:spank:

Thanks. :)

He came back early from his two-year stint, mainly because he was starving. He lost a huge amount of weight - when he returned he was 6'2" and weighed about 150. They were expected to live just like the natives, and eat as they did, which apparently wasn't much. He just wasn't very happy there. But that was a long time ago, and he always *was* a little whiny. ;)


Perhaps it is different now.

Well, I sure could afford to lose a few pounds.

What was he eating? What was he doing while he was there?

year boys college/university. I think he ate a lot of peanuts and chicken.

First - let me qualify myself by saying I've quit a number of things I didn't like - so take what I say with a grain of salt. But - I felt the Peace Corps was really just a way for the U.S. Government to give money to third world nations to keep them on "our side." Where I was the government got a substantial amount of money for providing housing for Peace Corps volunteers. Looking back I don't think a 22 year old business major with 3 months training is going to teach people how to lead better lives. I was helping African Coffee Cooperatives with their accounting - only they knew more about accounting than I did. Basically I did nothing. People in third world nations aren't stupid - and they aren't all poor. In the town where I was it wasn't uncommon for people to go to college in Europe. Looking back I think there is a semi-racist message we send to these countries that our fresh from college youth can teach you about life. How insulting. But - there ARE people who help these countries - like USAID. But they are professionals. And some Peace Corps volunteers feel more helpful than others. Teachers usually feel they make a difference. I found the Cameroonians I met were much poorer - but also much happier than the Americans I know. Who is to say that our way of life is so much better? I found myself getting upset that certain roads were in-passable for maybe 4 months during the rainy season. Upset that I had to travel to the next big town to get to a phone. Upset at their attitudes toward women. It was very hard for me not to be a ugly American. But at the same time I had a certain respect for their way of life. There is a lot of talk in training about "cross cultural" benefits - and they stressed that we should eat, dress and live as much like the locals as possible. I'm quite a picky eater - so that was difficult for me. We used gas canisters for cooking which were quite expensive - and frequently stolen from our locked houses. We had to buy new gas canisters from our monthly salary. Some volunteers didn't get paid for months because of glitches in the payroll or something - so they would have to borrow money from other volunteers to live. Medical care was very poor and one lady paid her own way back to the U.S. when she got malaria that the P.C. doctor's didn't diagnose. Another lady dislocated her shoulder during a motorcycle accident and the P.C. doctors told her the pain was psychosomatic because she wanted to go home. She did go home - but because she spent months with a dislocated shoulder - she had permanent problems with her arm. Some women who lived in remote areas were raped. But - like I said - take what I say with a grain of salt - I'm a little bit of a glass half-empty type.

Thanks! :)

I signed up for the PC in 1976, they were very excited with my agricultural background. Since I very speak Spanish very well I figured it would be off to South America. When they wanted to send me to Thailand I felt something is very wrong here. Luckily (maybe?) my farm sale fell though and I had an excuse to bail.

1976, fresh out of college nurse, had choice of Iran or Nicaragua. I decided I needed some work experience before going. Good choice as both kicked USA out the next yr, though it wouldn've been very interesting.

Few yrs later tried again and got accepted for Liberia. Went to a 1 wk pre-final acceptance program they were trying at the time because so many people were quitting before their 2 yrs were up. 13 out of 15 nurses got fired, including me. Good thing as Liberia rose in flames the next yr, though it would've been interesting.

Want to know the next country that will kick the USA out? I'll try and join again. Edited to add, guess I've always been uppity. I did really want to join way back, now I'd look for another organization.